Playing With Others

It’s been a regular struggle to get her to play with other kids. When she was younger, before the regression, she would play near them, but not necessarily with them. And when she started tossing sand out of the sand table, they’d typically find something else to do, lest they be sandblasted. Don’t get me wrong, she loves other kids. She loves watching them play. The apraxia just gets in the way of her actually being able to do what they’re doing.

I mean we can make it look like she’s doing what they’re doing:

But that’s just an illusion. Until the other day, I had never seen her appropriately play with another human.

Then I watched her participate in a full on screaming competition. One girl screams, the other screams louder and so on and so forth. In public it’s probably not that appropriate, but regardless, I couldn’t be prouder – for so many reasons – she’s vocalizing, appropriately, she’s communicating, she’s listening and responding. All of it, simply great.

And then, visiting Texas, her cousins and her cousin’s cousins, who are so good to her, wouldn’t let her get away with playing alone. She swung on that tire swing for hours. Even when we’d take her off, she’d hit the tire again, telling us in her way “I’m not done with this one just yet”.

Even as some cousins would get up and go do other things, she would swing, smiling and waiting, as other cousins came to replace the ones that left. The constant flow of kids made her so happy. And her happiness is our happiness.

Maggie looks like she’s having a blast! Please know we hope and pray a cure is found very soon, but you and Jenny are doing an incredible job in helping Maggie maximize her skills and enjoy life. We love you – Debbie & Bron